TURNING YOUR DAILY NEWS INTO A SNARKY RANT

Support for Abbott Govt Collapses to New Low

There’s wiggle room: it’s not like he’s signed his name to it & then stood in front of a pic of himself endorsing it….

Support for the Coalition has slumped with a new poll showing the Abbott Govt is now behind Labor on a two party preferred basis at 48 to 52 per cent.

The Nielsen poll follows a tough few weeks for the Coalition, which has faced a backlash over efforts to change racial anti-discrimination laws and has been mocked for the restoration of knights and dames.

According to the survey of 1400 voters taken between last Thursday and Saturday, Labor’s primary vote fell 1 per cent to sit at 34 per cent, while the government’s dropped four to 40 per cent.

Only a third of Australians back the decision to reinstate the British titles, while nine out of 10 believe it should continue to be unlawful to “offend, insult or humiliate” based on race or ethnicity.

KERRY O’BRIEN: But what you haven’t explained is how you can make one promise in one month and then completely change it the next. What happened in that month where you had this sudden explosion of vision?

TONY ABBOTT: Well, again, Kerry, people will make their own judgments about me and if they …

KERRY O’BRIEN: No, but I’d like you to explain it. Tony Abbott feels with conviction we will not have a new tax in any way, shape or form, we won’t have a new tax; a month later, you do.

TONY ABBOTT: Well, again Kerry, I know politicians are gonna be judged on everything they say, but sometimes, in the heat of discussion, you go a little bit further than you would if it was an absolutely calm, considered, prepared, scripted remark, which is one of the reasons why the statements that need to be taken absolutely as gospel truth is those carefully prepared scripted remarks.

KERRY O’BRIEN: So every time you make a statement, we have to ask you whether it’s carefully prepared and scripted or whether it’s just something on the fly? No, seriously; this is a very serious question.

TONY ABBOTT: But all of us, Kerry, all of us when we’re in the heat of verbal combat, so to speak, will sometimes say things that go a little bit further.

KERRY O’BRIEN: Mr Abbott, we’re not all leaders of major political parties who are either Prime Minister or aspiring to be.

TONY ABBOTT: True, true, true.

KERRY O’BRIEN: Would you agree there is extra onus on you …

TONY ABBOTT: Absolutely right. Absolutely right.

KERRY O’BRIEN: … to be accurate and honest and make promises that can be trusted?

TONY ABBOTT: Absolutely right.

KERRY O’BRIEN: But that time, you couldn’t?

TONY ABBOTT: But the thing is I made a statement in a radio interview in February and then I think in March I made a commitment to paid parental leave. Now, …

KERRY O’BRIEN: Which was the opposite of what you’d said the month before.

TONY ABBOTT: Well, it wasn’t absolutely consistent with what I said the month before.

KERRY O’BRIEN: It was the opposite! One month you say no new tax, the next month you say a $2.7 billion tax.

TONY ABBOTT: OK. This is an argument that we could well have had in March and we did have it in March and a lot of people pointed out back then that there was a bit of inconsistency and I accept that. There is a bit of inconsistency.

KERRY O’BRIEN: Is that why your colleagues over the years have come to call you “The Weathervane”?

What did all the aspirational nose led piss puppets think he would get better with age?
I think that we can safely assert that Abbott has exceeded our expectations of stratospheric stupidity in spades even by his high standards of s past form of fucktardery….

‘I think the truth is Australia’s relationships with China, Japan, India and Indonesia all went backwards over the last five years… When you go round and lecture people — I think you’d know who I’m talking about — some people don’t take it that well.’

‘Despite the Coalition facing a swing of more than 5 percentage points against it in the West Australian Senate re-run election, its primary support nationally has risen to its highest since November.

‘According to the latest Newspoll survey, taken exclusively for The Australian at the weekend when the WA Senate election was under way, the Coalition’s primary vote rose from 40 two weeks earlier to 43 per cent and Labor’s went from 36 per cent to 34 per cent, its lowest since the first week of November.’

””””””””””””’What ‘debate’? To call it that, you have to assume that Andrew Bolt’s readership constitutes a political constituency, which it doesn’t. This was the mistake Howard made in 1998 and it almost cost him government. Abbott is much less deft than Howard; for a start, Howard could see that Brandis was a liability, whereas Abbott indulges him again and again (travel rorts, the bookcase, Tim Wilson, and now the soon-to-be-iconic s18 of the Racial Discrimination Act. What next?)http://andrewelder.blogspot.com/2014/04/good-news-for-confused.html
”””””””””””””””””

‘TOUGHER pension rules are likely to be pushed beyond the next election as Tony Abbott vows to keep his campaign promise not to change pensions, but to get the budget under ­control.

‘However, The Australian understands the sustainability of the pension remains an “active’’ discussion in the government’s expenditure review committee this week and that no final ­decision has been taken on any changes to income or assets tests.’

Although a final decision on pensions has not been made, it is now believed the Government is leaning towards introducing changes in a gradual way and only after it his made a case for why they are necessary.

The May 13 Budget may outline proposed changes, but they would not come into effect until after the next election, due in 2016. This would allow voters to embrace or reject plans.

… embrace or reject? They don’t know the answer to that from recent public discourse?

Keep ’em concerned for another three years? Really good for forward planning

Like this decision, ToM? obviously made by people who have never lived on the bread line … capped at $72 a year it still hits those who can least afford it … unless there is a concession for very ill and very poor people …

These decisions also become the thin edge of the wedge … this year $6, next year $8, the following $10 … John Howard always wanted to dismantle Medicare … seems his Private School Bullies have “graduated” …

“Friends, Tony Abbott did not put Labor in Opposition — the Australian people put us here.

And unless we change, it is where we will stay.“

Bill Shorten

Well, Bill, got the first bit wrong … the ALP put themselves in Opposition … but he got the second bit right …

And I really like this …

* Greater community involvement in selecting candidates with further limits on the party executive to impose choices. He will refer to the debacle in Western Australia in which the top Senate candidate was a former union official who had admitted he didn’t always vote Labor.

* A “membership based party” of 100,000 members; A “one-click online joining model for new members” to replace the current cumbersome application system by June; “Low cost, uniform national membership fees” to attract young people, people on low incomes, students, apprentices and trainees; Make the ALP national conference more representative of community groups.

TB, the indications are that this government is full of a similar amount of bullsh!t as the last one, this seems to push people towards nutcases like Clive Palmer.

It is just a pity the Democrats aren’t viable these days, the situation is made for a political party that puts ethics front and centre.
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Personally, I don’t really have a problem with a part payment to see the doctor, but $6 capped at $72pa is so low that it is hardly worth implementing.
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And it is remarkable that what was portrayed as so deeply anti ALP (the negative effect of union affiliation) when I made the comments in 2007 is now spruiked by just about every ALP politician around.

There has been a clear need for fundamental reform of the ALP for almost 20 years, and sensible ALP people acknowledged this back in the 1990s.

Personally, I don’t really have a problem with a part payment to see the doctor, but $6 capped at $72pa is so low that it is hardly worth implementing.

Neither do I … but I do remember struggling with a wife and a couple of kids … and my parents struggling on the pension … not everyone is as fortunate as we are …

Do you have a solution to rapidly rising heath care costs??

I guess you would say we should tax the rich more.

Why ask the question if you know the answer … why should the poor ALWAYS have to get governments out of the shit … (and no I’m not poor – but have been) …

Perceived bigotry is oft mistaken for fact … eg

Not if you charge $50 upfront for any non-emergency treatment at hospital emergency departments.

What a simple technique to make it even harder for people with limited/no disposable income to survive in the rich man’s economy … most surgeries close around five … I see some after hours services are starting up here tho’ and bulk billing …

Why not cut $750 million from the EX-pollie’s handouts over the next four years* … maybe its time for our own Robin Hood …

The $750 mill could already have been $748 mill if Bill, Kate and little Georgy (a cute little lad, actually)had stayed at home, or, The Firm, had paid for its own marketing campaign …

This government can no more handle money and budgets than the last one …

””””””’Hospital waiting rooms are already full of people who should’ve just gone to a GP instead, the $6 fee will only exacerbate this problem.””””’

#Fully agree reb, good point.

””who should’ve just gone to a GP(or_dentist) instead, the $6””

At the bottom of the economy, `dental` already falls into this category, it`s #False-Economy, they refuse to have dental-basic(drill`n`fill/yank`bad`tooth) in health-care, but then get stuck with 20K-$30K for critical infection/surgery, total idiocy.